Netizens circulated this image from Eugène Delacroix’s “Liberty Leading the People” after Clinton’s Remarks on Internet Freedom.
From the Censorship Vault features previously untranslated censorship instructions from the archives of the CDT series Directives from the Ministry of Truth (真理部指令).
QuanzhouNet: Provincial Propaganda Notice
Carry only domestic Xinhua copy regarding U.S. Secretary of State Hillary [Clinton]’s remarks on Internet Freedom. All other coverage must be deleted without exception. Keep close tabs on forums, blogs, instant messaging tools, and social networking services. We urge websites in all locales to earnestly implement these measures. There are still websites which have not implemented related requests with regards to Hillary’s remarks on Internet freedom, and have republished coverage against regulation. We urge websites in all locals to seriously and thoroughly investigate their main and subsidiary sites. Documents not in compliance with these requests must be deleted without exception. (January 22, 2010)
【泉州网】省宣通知：有关美国务卿希拉里就网络自由发表演讲事只刊发新华社对内通稿，其他稿件一律删除。要严格管好论坛、博客、即时通讯工具和社区网站。务请各地各网站认真落实。希拉里发表网络自由演讲的报道，还有网站没有落实相关要求，违规转载稿件。务请各地各网站立即对本网站和属地内网站进行认真清查，不符合要求的稿件一律删除。
Secretary of State Clinton delivered her Remarks on Internet Freedom on January 21, 2010, where she asked China to investigate the hacking of Gmail accounts that lead Google to stop censoring its search engine and eventually end its mainland Chinese operation. China’s Foreign Ministry retorted that “China’s Internet is open” and that Clinton’s speech was “harmful to Sino-American relations.”
These instructions, issued to the media and/or Internet companies by various central (and sometimes local) government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online. CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.
Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.
For domestic audiences only, as distinguished from Xinhua coverage for international audiences. Back.
